Expedition Africa
Encyclopedia
Expedition Africa is an eight-part reality television
miniseries
that originally aired form to on History. Produced by Mark Burnett
, the program follows four modern day explorers—a navigator
, a wildlife expert, a survivalist, and a journalist
—as they substantially retrace H.M. Stanley's famed expedition to find Dr. David Livingstone
. Their route deviates somewhat from Stanley's in that it includes a treacherous crossing of the Uluguru Mountains
, which Stanley circumvented. Additionally, whereas Stanley took roughly 8 months to find Livingstone, the explorers on the show have 30 days to complete the 970-mile journey deep into the interior of Tanzania
.
Episode 2: First Victim
Episode 3: Hunters Become The Hunted
Episode 4: African Monsoon
Episode 5: Danger In the Desert
Episode 6: Malaria Claims an Explorer
Episode 7: Heart of Darkness
Episode 8: The Final Chapter
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
that originally aired form to on History. Produced by Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
, the program follows four modern day explorers—a navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
, a wildlife expert, a survivalist, and a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
—as they substantially retrace H.M. Stanley's famed expedition to find Dr. David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
. Their route deviates somewhat from Stanley's in that it includes a treacherous crossing of the Uluguru Mountains
Uluguru Mountains
The Uluguru Mountains are a mountain range in eastern Tanzania, Africa, named after the Luguru tribe. The main Uluguru Mountains is a ridge running approximately north-south and rising to 2,630 m altitude at its highest point...
, which Stanley circumvented. Additionally, whereas Stanley took roughly 8 months to find Livingstone, the explorers on the show have 30 days to complete the 970-mile journey deep into the interior of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.
Cast
So far, the cast consisted of four members (listed in alphabetical order below).- Benedict AllenBenedict AllenBenedict Colin Allen is a British traveller. He is best known for his survival modus operandi: tapping into local, indigenous knowledge above reliance on modern inventions. His approach is to present himself as ready to learn, like an infant; the communities that he visits take him under their...
is an explorer, author, and filmmaker. Benedict's adventures have taken him from SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
to South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, where he once completed an eight month journey to become the first outsider ever to cross the Amazon basinAmazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
at its widest point. Nevertheless, he does not have much experience in Africa. The author of 10 books, Benedict serves as the group's survivalist. Benedict often chafes under Pasquale's leadership.
- Mireya MayorMireya MayorMireya Mayor is a wildlife correspondent for the National Geographic. She is also a former cheerleader for the NFL's Miami Dolphins. She was a Fulbright Scholar before earning a PhD in anthropology from Stony Brook University in New York....
is an anthropologist, wildlife correspondent, and former cheerleader for the NFL's Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Mireya, who has a PhD and Masters degree in anthropology, is a two-time Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-nominated correspondent for the National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
. Her work has provided her with extensive field experience studying primates, snakes, and other wild animals indigenous to the continent. Mireya is sometimes annoyed by what she perceives as Pasquale's condescending treatment towards the only woman in the group, as well as by Kevin's inexperience.
- Pasquale Scatturo is an adventurer and geophysicist who has led expeditions all over the world, including three to Mount EverestMount EverestMount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
. Pasquale once successfully led a dangerous 3,260 mile expedition from the source of the Nile River high in the mountains of EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
to the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, an experience which was captured in the IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
film, Mystery of the Nile. Pasquale serves as the group's navigator and de facto leader, though his perceived domineering manner sometimes creates conflict with other members.
- Kevin SitesKevin SitesKevin Sites is an American author and freelance journalist. He has spent nearly a decade covering global wars and disasters for ABC, NBC, CNN, and Yahoo! News...
is an award-winning war correspondent and author who has worked for ABCABC NetworkABC Network may refer to any of the following:*American Broadcasting Company, a private television network in the United States.*Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, regional radio and television broadcaster in Japan....
, NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. As a backpack journalist, he covered every major conflict in the world in one year for Yahoo! NewsYahoo! NewsYahoo! News is an Internet-based news aggregator provided by Yahoo!. It features Top Stories, U.S. National, World, Business, Entertainment, Science, Health, Weather, Most Popular, News Photos, Op/Ed, and Local news....
. On the series he's depicted as a motivated but inexperienced explorer. He's often seen advocating on behalf of the portersPorter (carrier)A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...
, but some in the group regard this sensitivity as him transposing his own concerns onto others. Kevin also performs as a trained EMTEmergency medical technicianEmergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
, helping out where needed medically, and sometimes comes into conflict with Mireya, who believes her past expedition experiences outweigh Kevin's "book" knowledge.
Episodes
Episode 1: Lost in AfricaEpisode 2: First Victim
Episode 3: Hunters Become The Hunted
Episode 4: African Monsoon
Episode 5: Danger In the Desert
Episode 6: Malaria Claims an Explorer
Episode 7: Heart of Darkness
Episode 8: The Final Chapter